Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutreporter.aug06Nearly two years ago, Jack and Cammy Garey announced an amaz- ing gift to the City of Georgetown. Their wills will leave to the citizens of Georgetown their estate home and 525-acre Hill Country ranch, which will become Garey Park. Their life gift also will include a $5 million donation as a match grant for future development of the park. The total gift is valued at more than $15 million. Garey Park will become the second- largest municipal park in Texas. Located west of Georgetown on RM 2243, it will be four times the size of San Gabriel Park and 50 per- cent larger than Zilker Park in Austin. “Garey Park will rival some of the nicest state parks in Texas in its size and natural beauty,” says Randy Morrow, community services direc- tor for the City of Georgetown. “This park will become a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors for peo- ple across the region. The Gareys generous gift will be explored and appreciated for generations to come.” In June, the City Council finalized a master plan for the future Garey Park, providing a blueprint for the park’s development. To develop the plan, the City’s parks and recreation department worked with the Gareys and BWM Group (formerly Hall Bargainer), a planning and design company. The master plan process included focus groups and input from a survey sent to City utility customers, to which 1,215 responded. Three major themes emerged from the survey and focus groups. First, the park should preserve the natural beauty of Garey Ranch, with its rolling hills, grasslands, San Gabriel River access, and native trees. Second, the park should be designed to enhance the Garey House, an estate home in the style of a Tuscan villa, and the centerpiece of the ranch. Third, the park should complement and not duplicate recreation venues at the nearby Williamson County Regional Park. As a result of these themes, the master plan calls for a park in which the natural landscape is preserved and featured. (Continued on back) © City of Georgetown, 2006 VOL.4 • NO.8 A Publication of the City of Georgetown August 2006 Just go to www.georgetown.org to pay your City utility bill online. It’s free! There’s no fee to pay online. And no postage required. It’s fast. No wondering when the bill will get there. Payments are posted at 10 a.m. the next business day. It’s con- venient. Pay a bill online any time. Or check your account balance. It’s easy. To get started, all you need is your account number and the amount of your last payment. Visa, MasterCard, Discover Accepted. Go to www.georgetown.org. Click on the “Bill Paying, Permits & Fees” link on the top of the page. Questions? Call the Utility Billing Office at (512) 930-3640, or email billing@georgetowntx.org. City Offers Utility Bill Payments Online Street Repair 1/4-Cent Sales Tax Garey Park A vision for the future Proposed entrance gateway to the park on RM 2243 is pictured above In 2002, Georgetown voters approved the 1/4-cent sales tax for street maintenance. Due to the four-year sunset provision for the tax, it will expire if it is not reauthorized by the voters in November. The tax is collected from all who shop in Georgetown, unlike property taxes that are collected only from property owners in the City. Due to new retail projects in Georgetown in the last few years, rising sales tax revenues have steadily increased the street repair budget. More information on street maintenance projects can be found at www.georgetown.org. Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org Georgetown’s hike and bike trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the only trail in Texas to be so recognized this year. The trail, most of which is suitable for wheelchairs or strollers, connects seven parks along its path and features birding areas and a stargazing plaza. The trail connects Overlook Park at Lake Georgetown with Blue Hole Park via San Gabriel Park. The City’s 6.5-mile San Gabriel River Trail was one of 24 in the nation to be recognized this year. As part of the National Recreation Trails System, the hike and bike trail will receive a certificate of designation and trail markers. They join a net- work of more than 900 trails encom- passing more than 10,000 miles. The National Recreation Trails Program is jointly administered by the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with a number of other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the National Recreation Trail website at www.americantrails.org/national- recreationtrails. August 7 Council workshopoverview of the City Manager’s 2006/07 proposed budget August 8 Council workshop(continuation if needed) August 21 Council workshopfirst public hearing on 2006 tax rate and proposed 2006/07 budget August 28 Council workshopsecond public hearing on 2006 tax rate Sept. 12 Council meetingfirst reading of ordinances for 2006/07 budget and tax rate Sept, 26 Council meetingsecond reading budget ordinances October 1 fiscal year 2006/07 begins Budget information is also available on the City website at www.georgetown.org. Hike and Bike Trail Recognized by U.S. Department of Interior The Georgetown City Reporter is a publication of the City of Georgetown Public Information Office located in City Hall, 113 E. Eighth Street, Georgetown, Texas, 78626. For questions or comments, contact Keith Hutchinson, Public Information Officer for the City of Georgetown at (512) 930-3690, or by email at pio@georgetowntx.org. City Budget Adoption Schedule Garey House, which will be used for meetings and events. Around the house will be a sculpture garden that could be used for art exhibitions, a Hill Country garden featuring native landscaping, a formal garden with a labyrinth, a demonstration vineyard, and a Lovers Gazebo. Specialty uses at the future park include areas for an observatory and stargazing, rock climbing, secluded day use, and a pavilion incorporating the historic cabin site of the A.M. Brown house. Linking all the areas will be several hiking and equestrian trails which also will connect with the County regional park and the City’s trail system. The master plan provides an estimate of $14 million to develop the future park. Funding could come from a variety of federal, state, regional, local, and private sources. A day use equestrian arena and equestrian trails will serve as a tribute to Heritage of Gold, a champion race horse owned by the Gareys that won 16 races. Camping facilities at the park will include group tent camping sites, primitive tent camping sites, and retreat cabins with a central fire pit and a gathering area. A day use meadow area near the San Gabriel River will include picnic areas and outdoor sculptures. Orientation towers and columns in the meadow will provide visual reference points and interpretive information. An event area centers around a 3,000-seat outdoor amphitheater built into the slope of a hillside. The amphitheater will be available for concerts, plays, or other performances. An eight-acre lawn area adjacent to the amphitheater can be used for festivals and other events. The Cammy Garey Garden Center will include a series of outdoor spaces around the Each year, the City Council holds a series of meetings to deliberate the details of the annual City budget for the coming fiscal year. Informational workshops and public hearings on the tax rate also are held. As with all City Council meetings, the public is invited to attend. City Council meetings are held at the Council Chamber and Courts Building locat- ed at 101 E. Seventh Street. Public comment is invited at hearings and at meetings when the Council is posted to take action. Library Closes for Inventory July 31 – Aug 4 During the inventory the staff will be preparing the collection for the move to the new library, which is scheduled to take place in January 2007. The book drops will be open so that you may return materials. A 3,000 seat amphitheater is proposed for concerts, plays, and other performances. Garey Park A day use arena for equestrian events pays tribute to Heritage of Gold, a champion race horse owned by the Gareys.